Fun… Inspiration… Life… Management… for I-ndustry N' Kids

Archive for September, 2011

I had tickets to the opera after set one day. Timing with the shoot day meant I’d have to dress for the event at work. Once dressed, however, I happened past the Wardrobe department, and apparently didn’t pass muster. My biggest gaff was to wear a large-face (practical) watch which clashed horribly with my outfit.

I offered to remove the offending watch, but no, they’d find me the perfect accessory; my outfit would not be complete without the right watch, you see.

They sifted through their inventory to find a watch that matched seamlessly with my outfit. Indeed, they found one that was a perfect match. The only problem with the new watch was that it didn’t work. No battery. No ability to wind it. But then again, on screen why would you need a watch whose hands move? So we set the time to ten minutes before two (an aesthetically pleasing placement of the hands), and after a few happily imposed touch ups from the Hair and Makeup departments too, I was now ready to go to the opera.

The next problem… I had no idea what time it was anymore. Yet somehow I made it to the theatre on time and found that without knowing the exact time – as I usually do – it was a very relaxing, stress-free evening.

The shadow puppet show gives the kids courage to continue their journey.(Once Upon A Time… This Morning, 1995)

As festival season is upon us, I’m reminded of films I’ve seen that have left such an impression on me that I wish I could see them again.

In this film (from Thailand) the kids are trying to trek through the city on their own to their other parent. The come across so many challenges and one night, at a low point, the eldest girl brings out and uses their dad’s shadow puppets, taking on the role of telling the story their dad usually tells them – an adventure not unlike their current one… but seen through the dance of metaphor. The telling of the tale not only transports the kids out of their worries and into the magic of the story, but also gives them hope and courage to continue their journey… bringing them all together during their crisis.

How this magical moment reminds us of how important the “bards” are of this world as we all take life’s challenging journey: theatre, music, film, dance, oral tradition, shadow puppets… We work in an essential service in this industry, even if we can’t see the results immediately or directly.

The Australia Film Commission has a set of feature articles worth perusing. One in particular is called “The Financial Lowdown“.

Though this article is a tad old (it references films shot between 2000 and 2003), the content is still excellent. There’s a breakdown of a $1M production budget that helps with understanding of generally where in the budget the money goes. There is also discussion of how many shoot days are typical for low budget features and much more.

So… read it, learn from it, bookmark it! Then you can peruse their other articles too. Are any of them of significant interest to you?

Oh,the treasures you can find at the wardrobe and set sale! Here are 3 of my favourites:

1. Unique wardrobe choices
Discover unique and incredible clothes that somehow only the wardrobe department is adept enough to find when walking through a store… althought you’ll have to sift past the intentionally torn and (fake) blood stained clothing to find them!

2. Truly evergreen greenery
Find fake plants for the house… because you love plants but – because of your work schedule – never water them as you should.

3. Cinematic history
Own a piece of clothing, prop or set dressing with a cinematic history… the item that was part of the film you helped make come to life is now a part of your life ever after.

Deborah S. Patz

I'm the author of "Film Production Management 101", and have worked in many facets of the film and television industry since the mid-80s, especially managing film and TV productions. I believe in making dreams come true.

This F.I.L.M. blog is to entertain, to inspire, to mentor about the industry... especially when you only have a moment or two to spare in this busy lifestyle.